Bringing Worm Writers to Justice Is No Easy Task

Speedy arrest of German teen in Sasser case is only a small victory, experts say

By Jaikumar Vijayan

May 17, 2004 12:00 PM ET

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Computerworld - Despite the quick arrest of the author of the recent Sasser worm, much still needs to be accomplished if catching and prosecuting such criminals is to be the rule rather than the exception, users and analysts said last week.
From a technology perspective, more effort needs to be devoted to building better network tracking, monitoring and logging capabilities.
On the legal front, international laws need to be more standardized to enable efficient cross-border pursuit and capture of cybercriminals, security experts said.
Fear of Retribution
There is also an element of hesitation and even fear on the part of many companies to actively go after criminals who launch such attacks, said Bruce Schneier, co-founder and chief technology officer of Counterpane Internet Security Inc., a Mountain View, Calif.-based provider of managed security services.
"They don't want to make waves because they are very afraid of retribution," he said.
Sven Jaschan was arrested near Rotenberg, Germany, on May 8, and he subsequently confessed to creating the Sasser worm. The 18-year-old was apprehended following a tip to Microsoft Corp. from a group of people in the culprit's home state of Lower Saxony.
While the speed of the arrest is encouraging, it would be a mistake to overstate its significance, analysts said.


SASSER Worm creator Sven Jaschan was arrested quickly, but the majority of worm writers are never caught. Image Credit: Newscom.com

"This is a big improvement over the [nonexistent] arrests ... of yesteryear," according to Ken Dunham, a director at iDefense Inc. in Reston, Va. But the fact remains that the majority of worm writers are never caught.
'A Disgrace'
Even when they are caught, most cybercriminals receive little more than a slap on the wrist, said Michael Kamens, global network security director at Thermo Electron Corp., a $2 billion manufacturer of scientific equipment in Waltham, Mass.
"What's going on is really a disgrace," said Kamens. His company, like others, is spending more and more resources on fending off numerous assaults on its networks. When it has been able to pinpoint attack sources, Thermo Electron has asked Internet service providers to shut down the offending servers or Web sites from which the attacks are launched.
"If we did have an attack that was serious enough, we would have no hesitation to go to the FBI with it," Kamens said. "If you simply sit back and don't prosecute, nothing is going to happen."
The Bank of Alameda in California has a similarly aggressive policy for dealing with attacks that target its systems. On two occasions, the community

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